NO REGRETS
by BlueFedora60
Summary: In this AU story, Red is a criminal posing as a college professor who meets and falls in love with his student Liz Milhoan.
1. Chapter 1

*** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters.***

The early morning sun came through the cracks of the closed curtains and woke Elizabeth up. She turned over in her bed and looked at her alarm clock. It was only 6:30am, yet she felt the need to get out of bed. Today was the first day of her senior year at New York University and she wanted to enjoy the day as much as possible.

She had spent the whole summer working a temporary job at one of the local NYPD's offices, and now that classes were to start again, she would be able to enjoy her morning ritual of coffee and a walk in Washington Square Park, instead of traveling on the subway in the early hours to get to work on time.

As she slid from bed, she smiled. She'd finally made it to senior year. It wasn't easy being a double major in psychology and international relations, but she knew it the end it would all be worth it. She looked over at her signed poster of Silence of The Lambs. It was her favorite movie of all time, and it was the reason she was here. Clarice Starling had been her example most of her life and all she wished was to become an FBI-agent like her hero and, smiling at the poster, she realized she was slowly getting there.

Stepping to the bathroom, she was determined to enjoy the beautiful late summer day, so she wasted no time, and hopped in the shower, quickly washed her hair, lathered herself , then rinsed off. She dried off, then walked into her bedroom, stepped in front of her closet and decided on a light, summer dress today.

She shared a Greenwich Village apartment with two roommates. She thought back on how happy she was to have found this place. When she applied to NYU, she received an extra letter from the housing office. This apartment had caught her eye, and she had been so excited when she called the landlord to find out there was still a room available. And to make it even better, her room had its own bathroom, so she didn't hesitate to secure the lease. She then paid her three month advance.

The rent was expensive, as she made her home in one of the most sought after areas in Manhattan, but her dad had left her a large trust fund, and, before he passed away a few years ago, had told her to promise him she was to use it for something she would enjoy. She knew deep down in her heart that he would approve of her choice.

When she made her way downstairs to the main living area, she noticed that the apartment was still very quiet. Her roommates probably were still asleep or not home yet.

Donald Ressler was an English major and while being a bit uptight, she liked him and she knew she could count on him if she ever needed to. He'd asked her out during the first semester of her freshman year, but she'd always turned him down. She was very focused on her education, and nothing was going to interfere with her chances of making it to the FBI Academy.

Two years before, her boyfriend of two years had turned out to be a cheater and liar, and she vowed never to endure that ordeal again. She told Donald she wished only to be friends, and they'd done so ever since. He'd been dating Audrey Bidwell for a while and Liz figured it would only be a matter of time before Donald would pop the question.

Her other roommate was a tall man from Africa by the name of Dembe Zuma. He was a bit older and a graduate student at Columbia University. Over the last 3 years Liz had only spoken with him on a few occasions. He was a very reserved man and kept to himself most of the time. The few times they spoke, she enjoyed his company. He was very calm, well-educated and seemed to have a great knowledge about many topics. She learned he'd had a difficult childhood and that he had a daughter. Liz would run into him occasionally at the gym a short distance from their apartment. Those times they worked out together, Dembe proved to be an impressive sparring partner. He was gone much of the time, and Liz figured her quiet roommate may have already left for the day as classes were to start at the other universities around the city as well.

She grabbed her purse, iPhone and sunglasses, then headed out the door, taking her time as her first class wasn't until 11. She walked a block to the nearest Starbucks and decided to get a tall Latte and a blueberry muffin for breakfast. Before paying for her coffee and sweets, she gazed at her phone waiting for a text from her best friend Samar.

Samar had gone on a first date the night before and Liz was dying to know how it had gone. She found no new texts in her inbox and deduced Samar was still sleeping. She smiled and hoped her friend would be able to get up in time, as they both had the same class at 11 o'clock. Samar was also an international relations major, and they shared some of the same classes. They shared a close friendship and Liz couldn't imagine her life without her best friend.

Elizabeth walked a few blocks to the park with her breakfast. She felt so happy to be here and looked forward to the new school year. As it was such a beautiful summer day outside, the park was already crowded with joggers, people walking their dogs, moms with their children in strollers and commuters walking towards the subway. She figured she might as well enjoy the most of the early morning sunshine and looked for a bench to sit on so she could eat.

She spied several benches nearby, but most of them were already taken. An older retired couple was sitting together, holding hands, and as she watched them, she smiled and thought to herself I hope someday I can grow old like that with someone I love. She walked a bit further and decided to sit down on a bench that was bathed in sunlight. Perfect, she thought.

"Excuse me sir, is this seat taken?" She asked the man with the newspaper.

"Certainly not, go right ahead", the man replied, but didn't look up.

She sat down on the bench and pulled the muffin from the brown paper bag.

"Enjoy your breakfast", she heard him say in a deep voice.

"Thank you", she said and slowly started taking small bites, while she looked around at all the early morning movement in the park.

The buzz from her phone told her she had a text waiting.

It was Samar.

TBC

*** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters.***


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all so much for reading. I am overwhelmed by all your kind words and comments. This is my first fanfic and I'm really excited to write it.**

 **Here's the second chapter. Hope you enjoy it!**

 **** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters.****

She opened the message and spit out her coffee upon seeing the picture that was sent to her.

Liz stared at a blurry picture with no written text, but clearly could see Samar's dark brown hair and brown eyes looking into the camera. Behind her Liz saw the back of a man who apparently was still sleeping.

"Oh my god," she nearly screamed at her phone.

"Good heaven's. Either that coffee is really hot or really bad," The man with the newspaper sitting beside her laughed and lowered his reading material. Liz had forgotten that she wasn't alone, and looked up to see the man in his late forties, who wore cognac-colored sunglasses and a beige straw hat. He was dressed in a light three-piece suit with a matching, but expensive-looking silk tie and brown shoes. He looked very charming, yet distinguished, she thought.

"Oh no, not at all, it's my friend Samar. She sent me a picture and well, I just… I don't know what to say." Liz blushed and dropped her phone in her bag.

"Good," he replied. "For a second there, I thought Starbucks finally found a victim of their so-called coffee."

Liz smiled at him and felt a bit embarrassed over her earlier reaction. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I didn't get coffee on you, did I?"

"Don't you worry about it", he smiled and said. "This reminds me of my first visit to Panama. I was enjoying some quiet time at a local market near Mount Barú, drinking a cup of fresh brewed Hacienda La Esmeralda coffee, when a seven foot tall rugby player from New Zealand bumped into me and managed to make me spill my coffee and ruin my new suit. However sad it was to waste such a precious and tasteful cup of coffee, I managed to survive that hardship as well. "

"I do hope your friend didn't cause you any trauma. You seemed quite shocked from what you saw on your phone."

"Oh no," she smiled. "Not at all, but thanks for asking."

She wasn't at all shocked from the photo Samar sent her, but she was determined to discover what exactly happened last night during the first date.

"Well it looks like you survived your ordeal," he laughed. "I do wish I could find out exactly what surprised you so much, but unfortunately I must be getting on my way, as I have some business to attend to."

He rose then, adjusted the brim of his hat, and turned toward her. "I wish you a lovely morning and enjoy the rest of your day, Miss".

Before she could reply anything, he had started walking away. "Sir, you left your newspaper!" she called after him, but he did not turn around.

She looked at her phone, opened the picture again, and hit reply to Samar's text. All she could type was "?"

Liz remained stayed in the park for a while. It was such a beautiful day and she thought she might as well enjoy it. She grabbed the newspaper the man had forgotten earlier and skimmed the pages looking for something interesting but light to read.

"Ah, here we go," she thought. "A travel commentary on the new hotspots in Panama."

She smiled as she thought back to the comment the man made earlier. _Getting coffee spilled on by a seven foot rugby player_ _near a mountain in Panama_ sounded quite bizarre, but she figured some people have more interesting lives than others. She wondered if there was more to that story and found herself intrigued by the handsome man.

Her phone buzzed again. A new text from Samar. " _Much to tell, I'll see you in class."_

"Right." Liz thought. "We'll see if you make it, my friend." She started reading the article on Panama while thinking about the man in the hat.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters.

"Sir, you left your newspaper!" he heard her call out after him. Raymond Reddington desperately wanted to turn around, go back to the bench and get to know her a bit better, but kept walking. She was more beautiful than he could have imagined. "Not now," he thought, "not now."

While he walked towards the North entrance of the park, he pulled his phone from his pocket, pressed 1 on the speed-dial and left a message. "It's me. I need you to do something for me."

Raymond walked two blocks north until he arrived at his brownstone. He took the stairs to the front door. He unlocked his door, looked around and stepped inside. He walked up the creaky stairs until he reached his apartment.

As he opened the door, a brown tabby with a red collar came walking towards him and started purring around his legs. "Hello, Mr Cat," he said as he picked up the animal, "Yes, I know, I missed you too. Let's see if I can find you a treat."

On his way to the kitchen, Raymond opened the windows, turned on his stereo, placed a record by Nat King Cole on the turn table. Then he turned the volume to high and sighed.

 _Smile though your heart is aching_

 _Smile even though it's breaking_

 _When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by_

 _If you smile through your fear and sorrow_

 _Smile and maybe tomorrow_

 _You'll see the sun come shining through for you_

Elizabeth was already in class at 10:45 waiting for Samar to arrive for their 11:00 class in US National Security. She was excited to be a part of this popular International Relations department. Being she and Samar were both honor students, she was grateful for their fortunate good luck

She kept looking for her friend, and finally sent her friend a text. "Where the heck are you?"

Meanwhile, Harold Cooper, also the Director of the International Relations department, walked into the classroom, and said in a deep voice "Good morning. Welcome to US National Security."

Cooper looked around the classroom and said in a voice filled with annoyance "Anyone care to tell me where Miss Navabi is? Skipping her first class I assume. I hope she realizes I do not tolerate this kind of behavior," he said while looking at Elizabeth.

Liz shook her head, sighed, and grabbed a syllabus as they were passed around, then opened her notebook.

By lunch time, Liz still hadn't heard from Samar, so she grabbed a light lunch while waiting for her next class. She went to the nearest salad bar, filled a bowl with greens and vegetables and grabbed a bottled mineral water. She returned to the park. Maybe she'd see the distinguished man in the hat again.

She blushed when she realized that he'd left an impression on her, even though they shared only a brief conversation. She didn't see him, so she went back to the bench she had sat on earlier and ate her lunch in solitude. She only had half an hour until her next class, so she didn't want to venture too far from campus.

Liz walked back towards the building for her next class. It wasn't so much an actual class, as it was more meant as a preparation for her honor's thesis. "Should be pretty easy." She thought. Only a few students were allowed in this session and she knew most of them from other classes.

Finally, she spotted Samar in the distance. She waved at her and nearly shouted, "Where have you been? You do realize you managed to piss off Cooper on your first day?"

"I have been trying to get a hold of you all day, and you just blew me off. What's going on? Where have you been? And who was that guy in the picture?" Liz asked as they entered the building and headed toward class.

"Wow, so many questions?" Samar responded. "Oh my god, you wouldn't believe him. He was so sweet and so kind. At first I thought he was just another computer science nerd, but he is such a gentleman. He ordered Mexican from Paco's Tacos, ginger beer and lemon chicken and cripsy beef from Ho Kow, and he got take out from that Italian place I like. How he knew I liked all these things, I will never know. But it was amazing. We never even made it to the movie."

"I noticed that," Liz said, "you sent me a rather interesting picture this morning. I'm happy you finally met someone you like. What's his name anyway?"

"His name is Aram, and we are all going out tonight, if that's okay with you?"

"Sure", Liz replied. "I could use a night out. I also met an interesting gentleman this morning."

They sat down in the small auditorium and kept talking, all the while oblivious that the door was shut and the lights dimmed.

"Good afternoon all. My name is Raymond Reddington. Do I have your attention?"

It turned so silent in the room, you could hear a pin drop. All eyes moved to the sound and a few whispers were heard as the students realized who was standing in front of them.

 _"_ _THE Raymond Reddington?" "Concierge of crime?" "The man in the hat?" "The man who stayed out in the cold?"_

Liz nearly lost her breath when she realized the man she was just talking about to Samar, was the same man now facing them. He still looked as sharp as earlier in the morning, wearing his light colored three-piece suit, silk tie and beige fedora hat.

"Good, now that I have your attention let's get started, shall we?" Raymond took his hat off and placed it on the desk.

"We are going on a journey together. I have something very special in store for you all this year. Something you will not soon forget and will shape your future profoundly."

"It's called the Blacklist. That sounds exciting, doesn't it! And that's why we're all here, of course. My wish list, a list I've been cultivating for over 20 years: politicians, mobsters, hackers, spies. You are amongst the brightest students and that is why I choose you."

Everyone looked at each other, unsure of where this was going and how this was supposed to help them with their thesis.

"Each session we are going to delve into another Blacklister, find out who they are what motivated them to do the things they do and how it relates back to your country and its International Relations."

Reddington answered as he saw the questioning look on their faces. "You will then look for your own Blacklister and write your thesis on it."

"And are we supposed to believe anything you say, Mister Reddington?" Elizabeth asked cautiously.

"Of course not. I'm a criminal. Criminals are notorious liars. Everything about me is a lie." Reddington answered.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks so much for your continued interest in this story and for all the lovely comments!**

 **** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters, nor do I make any money from this ****

Elizabeth marched through the halls of the International Department Building and didn't stop until she arrived at Director Cooper's door. Office hours were over, but she knocked anyway. She knocked twice and, not waiting for an invitation to enter, opened the door and walked in.

"Miss Milhoan?" Cooper said as he looked up from his desk. "What is so important that you have to barge into my office like this? I hope you understand I don't appreciate this kind of behavior."

"Raymond Reddington," she said, "I don't understand. How is this possible? Why is he teaching in our department?"

Cooper looked at her with a stern look, directing her to sit down.

"I understand that you are all surprised to see the mysterious Reddington in your classroom, but trust me, Elizabeth, there is nothing I can do about that."

"What do you mean?" Lizzy asked, "There's nothing you can do about it?"

"You are the director of this program, so you should have some say in who teaches here and who doesn't. This is one of the highest rated college programs in the country, so you should be able to have the final decision."

"Not when that decision comes above my head: the FBI to be exact." Cooper replied.

Lizzy looked at him in disbelief, and asked "The FBI?"

"Yes. I only received the memo a few days ago. I was told by the authorities that Mr. Reddington would be teaching here and that we should not take any action to prevent that."

"Wait, what authorities?" Lizzy asked. "Who would want a known criminal to be teaching at this University?"

"Cynthia Panabaker, White House Counsel, to be exact. She is the one who sent out the memo. Apparently, Reddington surrendered himself to the FBI and worked out an immunity package that he negotiated himself."

Lizzy looked a question at him and sighed. "Well, then this is definitely going to be an interesting senior year," she said, as she rose to leave.

"Oh Elizabeth, one last thing before you leave," Cooper said. "Reddington had one more request, he's requested to be your mentor, and just you, with regard to your honor's thesis."

"Right," Lizzy said, and left Cooper's office.

She grabbed her phone, and texted Samar. "Where and when are we meeting tonight for drinks?"

It was 8pm and the bar was already crowded with college students from the area. Elizabeth had planned to meet Samar and her new guy at one of the most popular bars in the Village. Her roommate Donald and his girlfriend Audrey had mentioned they might also join them after dinner.

Deciding she wanted to forget the events of the afternoon, Liz was determined to enjoy herself. The fact that she would have to work with a criminal, no matter how handsome he was, for the remainder of her senior year startled her, but tonight she just wanted to drink, dance and have fun.

Clad in a pair of slim fit jeans and a tank top that bore The Clash, she slipped into high heel boots. She piled her hair up and applied some makeup, then inspected her look in the mirror and smiled. She was ready to go.

She walked into the bar and fought her way towards the back where she spotted her friend in a booth. The music was blaring and she watched several patrons moving to the music.

"There you are," Liz said.

"Sit down," Samar directed. "I want you to meet Aram. Remember I told you about him? You seemed quite out of it after our honor's thesis class and left in quite a hurry. Are you okay?"

"Hi Aram, it's nice to meet you." Liz said, as she gave him a hand. "And, yes, I am okay."

"Just a little shook. But it's nothing to worry about. What are you guys drinking?"

"I'll have another margarita," Samar replied.

"Just a coke for me, thanks," Aram said. Lizzy was already on her way back to the bar.

"A Margarita, a coke and a glass of Chardonnay, please." She asked the bartender. While she waited for her drinks, she spotted her roommate Dembe sitting at the end of the horseshoe shaped bar. Apparently, he was alone, sipping a beer.

What a coincidence seeing him. She approached him. "Hi Dembe, good to see you here. How was your first day of class at Columbia?" She asked.

"It went very well, Elizabeth," he answered.

"Would you like to join us?" She asked. "My friends and I are sitting in a booth in the back."

"No thank you, I'm fine." He replied, "I will finish my drink and then return to the apartment. Have a great time tonight, Elizabeth, and stay safe."

"No problem, Dembe. And yes I plan on having a great time. I will see you back at the house."

Liz paid the bartender, grabbed her drinks and walked back to their booth.

As she walked away, Dembe took his phone and dialed one on his speed-dial.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Again thank you for your continued interest and for all the kind words and kudos. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**  
 **PS. I'm excited but super scared for this week's episode!**

 **** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters, nor do I make any money from this ****

The next morning, Elizabeth woke up with a headache. She knew she had to get up soon but resisted and turned over one more time.

Last night had been a lot of fun. She'd managed to escape reality for a few hours and had enjoyed her time out with her friends. Unfortunately, she was now experiencing the aftermath of all that fun.

She and Samar had enjoyed Margaritas and Chardonnay before they'd moved on to pitchers of beer along with tequila shots.

Liz had also became further acquainted with Saram's new guy. Aram Mojtabai was a recent grad from MIT in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and was a first year graduate student at NYU in Computer Engineering. He was a bit shy, nice and courteous and Liz was happy her friend had finally found herself someone to keep her in check. Also, she figured, if she ever had computer problems again, this guy might be able to help her instead of those geeks at the computer labs.

It wasn't until Donald and Audrey showed up, that Liz realized Dembe was also still sitting at the bar. He hadn't moved from his barstool but was joined by an older man, wore his long gray hair in a ponytail, and appeared very fit, Liz recognized him from the gym. They kindly refused her invitation to join her, then continued their conversation.

It was 2 am by the time Donald and Liz walked back to their apartment.

Her phone beeped and informed her she had email. With one eye open, she grabbed the phone, and saw a message from Director Cooper.

 _Miss Milhoan,_

 _You are expected in Mr. Reddington's office (room B212) today at 11 o'clock to prepare your thesis._

 _You will schedule your meetings with your mentor and are fully responsible to handle your own time management._

 _Your thesis is due on March 30, no exceptions._

 _All requirements are found in attached document._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Director Harold Cooper_

She groaned, crawled out of bed, grabbed a bottle of water and 2 aspirins and walked to the bathroom.

Elizabeth walked through the halls of the International Relations Building. "Where the hell is room B212?" she thought, as she looked at a map of the building. Room B212 was nowhere to be found on the map, so she decided to go through the second floor again. She passed office 208, 209, 210, and saw no more offices at the end of the halfway.

She did see a small door with a sign that said "custodian". That can't be it, she thought.

Not expecting to get an answer she knocked on the door. Just as she was about to turn around, she heard a deep voice say "Yes?"

She opened the door and to her surprise saw a neatly furnished office with a full stocked bar against the wall. The other wall was decorated with a large mirror and an impressive replica of Venus of Milo. The desk was made from restored oak and the room was filled with a faint scent of musky after shave. Liz heard jazz music and spied an old record player in a corner. What the hell was this place?

 **"** Miss Milhoan, what a pleasure." Reddington said as he turned around. "I'm sorry this room isn't more of an actual office, but unfortunately obtaining a suitable office wasn't part of the deal." He lowered his drink and invited Liz to sit down. "Please," he said. "Would you like a drink?"

"No thank you," Liz replied. She looked at him, confused and filled with questions. Before her sat a master criminal who'd requested her as his student. When he looked at her seductively she couldn't help feeling a bit in awe of him.

"Well I'm here." She said.

 **"** You got rid of your highlights. You look much less Baltimore. Do you get back home much?" Red asked. "I haven't been home in years."

Liz really didn't know what to say. Why was he talking about Baltimore? She'd never been to Baltimore before. And why did he ask specifically for her?

"Why ask for me? I'm nobody. It's my first day as a senior. Nothin' special about me." She hoped to get some kind of answer from him.

 **"** Oh, I think you're very special…" Reddington said. "It has come to my attention that you want to join the FBI. I'm gonna make you famous, Lizzy. We're gonna make a great team."

"Fine," Liz said. "So how is this going to work? How are we going to work together? I have a pretty full schedule with my classes."

"Let's discuss it later today." He replied. Meet me back here at 6pm, wearing a nice dress."

"How will I get a hold of you if something comes up?" Liz asked. "I couldn't find your contact information anywhere on the NYU website."

Reddington laughed. "I don't have e-mail or a phone or an address. I prefer to handle my business face–to–face. I expect you here at 6pm. Have a nice day Miss Milhoan." He walked back to the bar, grabbed his glass and filled it with scotch.

TBC

 **** Many thanks to Jammequin for encouraging me to keep writing and to my wonderful beta heatherpeters. Love you both! ****


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all for your continued interest in this story. I appreciate all your comments and kudos so much.**

 **As always my gratitude to Jammequin for encouraging me to keep writing and to my wonderful beta heatherpeters. Love you.**

 ***** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters. *****

It was 5:50pm and Liz was pacing in front of the door with the "custodian" sign. The International Relations Building was empty by now, everyone had already left for the day, there were no evening classes and she felt like she was the only one around. She wondered what Reddington had planned for her and why she had to wear a dress.

How presumptuous of him to ask me to wear a dress, she thought. Part of her wanted to show up in jeans and a tank top just to defy him, but another part of her was intrigued and wanted to play along. So, when she stood before her closet that afternoon, she opted for a black short sleeved dress., wore her hair down and black heels. She applied a splash of makeup to round out her ensemble.

Being alone in the International Building, she felt tense. She had no idea what was going to happen, if he was going to take her somewhere or if he was just going to give her some files and be on his way, and that she dressed up for nothing. Her mind told her that he was a notorious criminal, so she asked Samar to keep her phone near in case she needed to call and be rescued. It was exciting and scary at the same time.

At precisely 6pm, she knocked on the door and waited. She saw him when he opened the door. He stood there and looked at her somewhat startled. "Wow," he said, "you look stunning." She watched him as he took her in and she noticed his head tillted just a bit while he was chewing on the inside of his cheek. Her stomach tightened.

Reddington was wearing a three piece suit, white shirt with tan stripes and a blue silk tie. She smelled musky cologne, then watched him grab his matching grey fedora.

He closed the door. "Miss Milhoan you could have just knocked on the door." He put his hat on, adjusted the brim, placed his hand on her back and led towards the hallway. "Shall we?" he said.

"Where are we…..?"

Five minutes later he opened the backseat door of a new black Mercedes parked in front of the building and guided her inside. He entered on the opposite side, put his hat on his lap and told the driver to get going.

"Where are we going?" Liz asked again, as she noticed the car was heading uptown.

"Miss Milhoan," Reddington said, "I think we should talk about the details of our working agreement. I want you to know I have absolutely no intention of taking advantage of you in any way, on the contrary, I am here to help you. Please understand I want more than anything to help you. It's the reason why I'm here. Help you find answers in where you came from and what you want to become. Everything we discuss between the two of us will remain between the two of us. And I promise you I will never lie to you. You can take my word for that."

Elizabeth swallowed and looked straight ahead. Her mind was running at 100 miles an hour, but she couldn't get a word out. "A working agreement," she thought.

The car took them to the Upper West Side and stopped in front of a small restaurant named "Saint Laurent."

Liz looked at Reddington. "Before we do this, let me be clear. I'm not here to socialize. I have no interest in having dinner with you, nor do we have the time. I just want to know how to get this thesis started and how you can help me with that."

Reddington nodded his head and said while looking at his Rolex watch, "I agree with you completely. But it is a restaurant, and it is dinnertime." He got out of the car, walked around and opened her door to let her out. "So, what kind of restaurant is this?" she asked as she walked towards the door. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he replied and followed her.

"Bonsoir. ça va?" he told the coat clerk as he handed him his fedora. Reddinton guided Elizabeth towards their table while whispering to her, "Anyone asks, you're my girlfriend from Ann Arbor."

"Absolutely not," she replied while trying to hide her smile. "Fine. You can be my daughter."

"Bonsoir." The waitress said.

"What would you like to drink?" Reddington asked Elizabeth.

"I'll have wine. Chardonnay?" she asked the waitress.

"S'il vous plaít, pour madame, un cocktail de I'aviation."

Minutes later the waitress arrived with their drinks, a scotch for Reddington and a cocktail glass with blue liquid in it. "Ahh." Red sighed.

Liz looked at the waitress and said "Oh, this isn't what I ordered."

 **"** Mercí." He spoke to the waitress. "To the future." Red said as he raised his glass. "It's called an Aviation cocktail."

"Uh–huh?" Liz hummed when she took a sip.

"It's from the twenties." he said. "Tastes like spring, doesn't it?" He looked at her with his piercing green eyes and smiled.

"Tell me why you want to join the FBI, Elizabeth." Reddington asked her in a deep voice.

She looked at him with a questionable look and answered, "Because I want to catch criminals like you."

"That sounds fascinating. Now tell me why you really want to join the FBI. What made you decide on that career idea?" He asked her again while looking deep into her eyes.

Liz felt her stomach tighten up again and started to feel a bit uncomfortable. "Remember, everything we discuss will remain between the two of us."

"When I was younger, my father and I used to watch a lot of movies together. His favorite movie was Silence of the Lambs and we must have seen it together over a dozen times. I was always fascinated with Clarice Starling and how she managed to understand the complexity of Hannibal Lecter. As I grew older, I learned to understand the relationship between the two. I have always found it so romantic in a strange way, and I couldn't help myself become obsessed in a way. During the years, I realized that I wanted to be like Clarice, and become a strong and heroic woman. It may sound silly, but she is my role model."

"There is nothing silly about that story, it's very honest. Thank you."

"Thank you for what?" Elizabeth asked.

"For being honest with me. In my life, I don't encounter that frequently."

"So you want to become a profiler like Clarice Starling? The profiling. I'm fascinated. How close to the truth do you think you can really get?" Reddington lowered his voice then took another sip of his scotch. "Why don't you give it a try now. Tell me my profile."

"Why would I do that?" Elizabeth whispered in answer.

 **"** I'm sure you've read plenty of reports on me. You've heard news stories about me. You've read the newspapers. I so want to know how you see things."

Elizabeth look straight at him and took a deep breath. "You're a loner. You keep your distance. You travel freely through foreign lands. You're rootless. You're very comfortable here with your glass of Scotch, but you're just as comfortable sleeping in a cave with rebels or sharing dinner in some hole-in-the-wall noodle shop. Your closest friends are strangers. You understand that tight bonds can make you vulnerable, so you're careful not to have any. And that's why you're so conflicted about me. You need me. And you hate that about yourself, because it makes you vulnerable."

The whole time Liz was speaking, Reddington kept looking a her without blinking once. She took a sip of her cocktail when she was finished.

"Now can we please talk about my thesis? Which so-called blacklister do you propose I write my thesis about?" she asked him.

Reddington called over the waitress again and said "S'il vous plait, apportez–nous une bouteille quatre vingt deux Chateau Latour."

"Are you gonna keep trying to impress me with your knowledge of French wine, or are you gonna answer my question?" Liz sighed and asked him annoyed.

"I want you to write your thesis on me, Elizabeth. As you may have guessed, I am number one on the Blacklist."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Apologize for the delay for a new chapter, real life is getting busy again.**

 **Thank you all for your continued interest in this story. Again, I appreciate all your comments and kudos so much. It means the world to me.**

 **As always my gratitude to Jammequin for encouraging me to keep writing and to my wonderful beta heatherpeters.**

 ***** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters. *****

"He took you where?" Samar said out loud.

"The Saint Laurent on the Upper Westside," Liz replied.

Both friends were having lunch the next day, discussing the events of the night before. Samar had been waiting all evening just in case Liz called, but when she fell asleep at midnight she hadn't heard from her. Now she wanted the scoop on everything.

"Are you kidding me? That place is the hottest new restaurant in town, it takes months to get a reservation there. From what I've heard, one of the most expensive French restaurants in the city. So how was it? What did you eat?"

"Honestly Samar, I don't know. Reddington ordered for me, it was a five course dinner, all with selected wines accompanying each course, and it all tasted so delicious, it just seemed like a trip on my taste buds. And time just flew by. Before I knew it, it was past midnight and he took me back to my apartment. He really is a gentleman, I had no idea."

"So wait, this was like a date?" Samar asked with a questioned look.

"Of course not, we discussed my thesis and that was it. It just happened to be in a restaurant," Liz answered.

"Well, girl," Samar replied with a smile. "My mentor asked me to come in during office hours and just gave me a file with info on the Blacklister I'm assigned to, for my thesis; told me to email him if I had any questions. No restaurants, no dresses, no selected wines…. Are you sure there's nothing else going on?"

"Of course not," Liz answered. "Now how about we get started on that assignment Cooper gave us? Remember that class you skipped because you had other things going on?"

Reddington hadn't slept at all the night before. By the time he returned to his apartment, it was already past 1 am and he was unable to get her out of his mind.

He'd walked her to the front door to make sure she entered her apartment without incident. The area was safe and well lit.

He was happy she had enjoyed dinner. They'd enjoyed wine all evening and he now noticed she was feeling the effects of the alcohol, even though she denied it.

"Well Mister Reddington, thank you for a pleasant evening." Elizabeth fumbled a bit as she managed to put the key in the lock.

"It was my pleasure; I am glad you enjoyed it," he replied. "Are you going to be ok or do you need some help?"

"Yes, I am just up the stairs, so I'll be fine. Thank you for walking me to my door." She felt a little uneasy. Was she supposed to kiss him goodnight? After all, he just treated her to the nicest meal she has had in years and she didn't even want to think about what it had cost him.

"Well Miss Milhoan, I wish you a goodnight. I hope you sleep well. May I suggest to take an aspirin before you go to bed?" he smiled. "I look forward to working with you this year on your thesis. We are going to make a great team." Reddington adjusted the brim of his hat and turned to enter his car.

"Mister Reddington?" Liz asked.

"Yes?" he asked when he turned around. Elizabeth softly kissed him on the cheek and said "Thank you again for tonight, I will see you soon." She walked inside and closed the door. Reddington stared at the closed door for long moments before he made his way to his car.

He went back to his apartment, poured himself a scotch and sat in his large leather couch, thinking back to that kiss she gave him. He could still feel her warm lips on his cheeks and knew for sure he was in deep trouble.

He lifted his glass to a picture of a blond man and a young girl on the shelf above the fireplace and toasted. "Sam my friend, she became everything you wanted her to be. I finally had a chance to see her. There's a fire inside she got from you. She's volatile, unpredictable, soft, and hard, and... soft again. Stronger than she knows. You gave her an incredible gift, Sam. Taking her in and loving her as your own."

He finished his scotch in one swallow and filled up the glass again.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you for all the love you've given to this story! Hope you enjoy this new chapter.**

 **As always my gratitude to Jammequin for encouraging me to keep writing and to my wonderful beta heatherpeters.**

 ***** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters. *****

Weeks went by and New York City changed from hot and humid days, to a nice Indian summer, and on to a cooler weather. Halloween decorations were up all over the city and as the days became shorter, the nights grew longer.

Reddington and Elizabeth had continued to meet two or three times a week, in addition to their scheduled honor thesis class, so that Liz could obtain all the necessary information to start writing. She interviewed him about cases she had reviewed, and tried to gather as many details as possible. He had shared numerous stories about various travels and incidents, and she was amazed by how much he had already seen and done in his life.

During one of their first coffee dates, Reddington had taken her to his favorite local coffee shop in the Village. He couldn't be bothered with the busy, noisy and overcrowded shops with their horrible and overpriced coffee and yuppie customers. He'd introduced her to the owner of "Coffee and Jellybeans", a peculiar little gentleman named Glenn, and since that moment Elizabeth had chosen this place to claim her caffeine fix.

Elizabeth truly enjoyed her time and every meeting she shared with Reddington. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt safe and comfortable around him. She'd read several case reports on this so-called notorious criminal, but instinctively knew he'd never hurt her and that he'd do anything to keep her from harm; that feeling warmed her completely.

It was Saturday morning, early November that they were having espressos when Elizabeth asked him out of the blue, "So what does the Concierge of Crime do for fun? I mean, you've told me all about your so-called Blacklisters, and all the things you've done to prevent being captured and I know that is definitely fun for you. But what do you like to do when you're not making a fool of police or the Feds?"

"You mean, what else do I like to do in my free time besides spending time with you?" Reddington answered while smiling at Elizabeth. She blushed when he looked at her and felt her stomach tighten up. "Well, why don't I show you. How about tonight? 8pm? I will pick you up at your house."

"OK, sounds like a plan," Liz replied. "What should I wear?"

"Whatever you want, you always look great Elizabeth. We're not going anywhere fancy, but that's all I am going to spill now."

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At exactly 7:55 pm Liz watched the black Mercedes pull up in front of her brownstone apartment. She had opted for a dark blue dress with white polka dots which framed her slender figure perfectly, combined with a brown button down wool sweater, along with matching purse and boots.

Reddington walked up to the door looking sharp as usual in a dark brown three piece suit with matching fedora hat and rang the doorbell. She opened the door and said hi.

"Good evening Elizabeth, it's nice to see you again. You look very lovely this evening."

She twirled around and gave him a short kiss on his cheek. "It's good to see you too."

"Shall we?" Reddington asked, offered his arm and led her to the car.

The car ride was only a few blocks long when the Mercedes stopped on 7th Avenue in front of a pizza parlor. She noticed a big red door next to the pizza place with a line of people waiting outside.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"My dear," he said, "please tell me you've heard of the Village Vanguard?"

She looked at him and said "Uhm no, should I have?"

"You mean to tell me you've lived in the Village for three years, and yet you have never experienced this venue?"

"No," she said. She saw his perplexed look and wondered if she said something wrong.

He just nodded his head and said, "Well you're in for a treat. Shall we?"

He got out of the car, walked around and opened her door. Even though there was a line outside, Reddington led her to the door and waved at the bouncers.

"Raymond," the biggest one of the two smiled, greeted him and opened the door for them. "It's good to see you again. It should be a great evening. We have your table ready. Hope you and your beautiful date have a wonderful night." As they walked through the door, Liz saw Reddington put a $50 bill in the man's hand.

They walked down a flight of stairs and came to a dark basement filled with a big bar, several bar stools and several tables. The walls were filled with frames of old black and white pictures and retro posters. She noticed that the place was almost shaped like a pizza slice, and in the tip of the slice, she saw a set up of different instruments, including a drum set and a piano. Currently there was jazz music playing through the speakers, but she figured a live band would start playing soon.

"Wow, this place is great" she said. "So this is where you hang out on your evenings off, right? This is amazing."

"Just wait until the band starts playing." He said. "The Christian McBride Trio is known for its jaunty and exuberant sets. You will love it."

"But before anything else, you will have to explain to me how on earth you've never heard of this place." he said while he smiled at her.

He walked to the bar, ordered them two Stella Artois bottles and handed her one. "Wow, I never would have guessed you for a beer man," she said.

"Well, apparently I did manage to keep some secrets," he laughed. "Did you know Stella first started brewing this beer in 1366?"

Elizabeth smiled at him and said, "No I did not, but thanks for that wonderful piece of information."

"Anyway, let's get to our seats." He showed her his favorite table. "I always ask for this table. If they seat you too close to the stage, all the lights shine on your table. I can tell from personal experience, it's not enjoyable. As you may have guessed, I prefer to have some privacy." He pulled out her chair, let her sit and then sat down next to her. He lifted his beer and said "Cheers, here's to your first experience of real music."

The band was still setting up to start their set, when Reddington asked her if she had any plans for Thanksgiving break.

"So Elizabeth, you will soon have a week off. Are you planning on going back home to Nebraska to visit your family?"

"No." Lizzie answered dry. "Since my father passed away I haven't really been back there. I only have one aunt left and we talk once in awhile, but that's it. I have no reason to go back there."

"So, what on earth will you do during your week off?" Reddington asked her as he took a sip of his beer.

"Well, I had actually planned on starting to write out my thesis and to begin studying for finals in December."

"What? No wild plans to go away with your friends and do some travelling to a far away place? This is your senior year in college, Elizabeth, you're allowed to have some fun in your final year."

"Well Samar is going to Israel for a week to visit her relatives, Ressler is going home to visit Audrey's parents for the first time and I think Dembe is going to visit his daughter, although I haven't seen him in some time."

"So, no plans for me," Liz continued. "I am actually quite happy to stay in the city, enjoy some quiet time in the apartment and get some work done. What are your plans, mister Reddington? Don't you have a wife and child somewhere?"

"No, I don't have a family anymore." Reddington said quietly.

"Well, miss Milhoan, I hope I am not running my luck here." He looked at her and asked, "How would you like to spend Thanksgiving Day with me? I've been known to make the best turkey this side of the Hudson."

"I would like that very much," Liz answered.

The lights dimmed, the music started and the owner of the bar announced the band. Liz looked over to her left to Reddington and watched a warm smile form on his handsome face.


	9. Chapter 9

**Apologize for the wait for this new chapter, RL is getting in the way. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **My gratitude to Jammequin for encouraging me to keep writing and to my wonderful beta heatherpeters for being amazing.**

 ***** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters. *****

It was 2 am, and the club was packed with a dancefloor full of swinging bodies.

Loud RnB music was blasting through the speakers and a DJ was calling the patrons to put their hands up and raise the roof.

It was the Friday before the week long Thanksgiving break and Samar and Liz had decided to go out clubbing, an idea they seemingly shared with thousands of other college students in the city.

Samar was going to go straight to JFK airport from the club since her flight to Israel left early in the morning. She had already decided to just sleep on the plane instead of in her own bed. Both girls were so excited they were finally done with their classes and they wanted to have fun for as long as they could. Sleeping wasn't part of the plan for tonight.

"Let's grab another drink," Samar said, "Plus I really need to sit down for a second, these new shoes are killing me." They both managed to crawl their way through the crowd towards the bar and, by some miracle, found two empty bar stools. "Two Chardonnays please," Liz motioned towards the bartender and sighed when she finally sat down.

"Wow, it feels great to sit down," Liz said. "I can't believe we have been dancing for four hours without a break. So, are you excited about your trip?"

"Sure," Samar said, "I'm looking forward to seeing some of my friends again, but I'm not sure how I feel about seeing my ex-boyfriend Levi. But how about you, are you excited about spending Thanksgiving with Mr Reddington?"

"You need to tell me, Liz, what is going on with you two? You always tell me everything, but since you have been spending so much time with Reddington, you haven't spilled anything. Don't tell me you're falling for him?

You do realize having a relationship with a professor can jeopardize your chances of graduating and getting into Quantico?"

Liz looked at her friend and smiled, "Trust me, nothing is going on. He is just helping me with my thesis and he didn't want me to be alone on Thanksgiving.

"You have nothing to worry about. Nothing will stop me from going to the FBI, and definitely not Reddington."

"Well, I hope you are right," Samar said. "You wanna go back out there? I love this song. Come on."

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Two hours later, Samar received a text notifying her that her limo was waiting in front of the club to take her to the airport. "I need to go; I don't want to keep the driver waiting. Do you want a ride to your apartment?"

"No, that's ok, I can take a cab," Liz replied and walked her friend towards the exit.

They grabbed their coats and started saying their goodbyes. "Are you sure you don't just want a ride? It's really no problem".

"You know what," Liz said. "I could use some fresh air. All that dancing and all those crowds, I just want to walk a bit, take in some air and then grab a cab later. You go ahead, have a safe flight, and enjoy your vacation. I will see you in a week.

Happy Thanksgiving."

"OK Lizzie," Samar said as she hugged her friend goodbye, "text me when you get home."

"Of course I will. Have a good time!"

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Elizabeth started walking towards Broadway. She wanted to walk a few blocks, clear her head and then just flag a cab. It was cold outside, and she could feel her body cooling down after being inside the hot club all night. She put her hands inside her pockets and started picking up speed.

Maybe I should have just gotten that ride, she thought.

What happened next was all a blur, since it happened so fast. All of a sudden she felt a pair of hands grab her and pull her into an alley. By the time she realized what happened and tried to scream, a hand at her mouth had her making a muffled sound. She felt the other hand tug at her hair and pull her behind a garbage dumpster. She tried to punch whoever it was, but before she could pull her thoughts together, she felt her head hit the metal of the dumpster.

"So Lizzie, I found you again," the voice said in a creepy manner. "Did you really think you could move to New York and get away from me? You know we belong together."

"Tom?" Elizabeth whispered. Her head was thumping from the hit and she wasn't sure she was hearing right. She felt blood dripping from her head.

"In the flesh, I know you missed me," he answered. "How come you never respond to my calls or my emails? You made me look all over for you and travel all the way out here."

"Are you insane?" Elizabeth cried out. "What is wrong with you? Do you know I could have you arrested for attacking me like that? Why would you even think for a second I would miss you? There is a reason I moved here."

"But Liz, your life is with me. We were meant to be together. I have never stopped loving you."

"Loving me?" Elizabeth laughed. "You cheated on me at least 2 times, with Gina and Jolene, back in high school. God only knows how many other times you cheated on me. You're even more awful than I thought, I can't believe you followed me here after all these years. Can't you just move on? I don't want you. Just get that in your head and leave me alone."

She got up and tried to walk away back into the street. Tom grabbed her and pushed her back into the wall. "No," he yelled, "we're going to do this my way. You're coming back home with me."

"The hell I am," Liz yelled, "just leave me the fuck alone." With that, she felt a fist hit her head, she fell to the floor as he kicked her repeatedly in the stomach and all over her body.

"Fine; rot in hell," she heard Tom say before she passed out.

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Two strong arms lifted her up. She tried to open her eyes but was in too much pain. "Put her in the car and take her to the Village," she could barely make out one of the voices say.

"Dial Star 77; get the doctor and nurse to meet us at the house. Tell them to hurry; she's been badly hurt."

She sensed a warm car, leather seats and a familiar scent.

She was unable to open her eyes or speak. Where were they going?

A few minutes later she felt the car stop and those same two strong arms lifted her up again. Then a door opened.

"Raymond, we arrived there too late. He was gone before we reached her."

"Take her upstairs to the main bedroom, I'll be right up. Mr. Kaplan is on her way."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for all the support and the comments! Here's a new update, enjoy!**

 **Thanks to Jammequin for proofreading! Love u my friend!**

 ***** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters. *****

"She is stable now, but has a fairly bad concussion, a fractured wrist, a bad open wound on her head and several internal bleeds. Whoever did this to her really made sure she would be in pretty bad shape for a while," the doctor told Red.

He looked at the doctor and nodded, while he was on fire on the inside. He was going to make sure he found out who was responsible for the attack and, if his life depended on it, the asshole wasn't going to see the light of day again.

"I put an IV into her, and I have her on painkillers, antibiotics and a sedative for now so she won't be experiencing the pain. For her own comfort, I also gave her a bladder catheter so she can stay in bed for the time being. She may also have some panic attacks when she wakes up, I just want to warn you."

"Claire will stay by your side the whole time to take care of Elizabeth whenever she needs help, and will change her wound bandages when they need to be changed. She will also be here to assist her when she wakes up." Red looked at the nurse and smiled at her.

"Of course", he said, "I have one of the spare rooms all ready for you so you can stay there as long as necessary. I appreciate you all being here on such short notice, you will be compensated accordingly. Claire, feel free to use the kitchen and the living area as you wish whenever Elizabeth is resting."

"Well then", the doctor continued, "she is stable for now. I of course will be on call for you 24/7 should you require my assistance."

Red led the doctor towards the door and thanked him for his work. He walked to his office after the doctor left, where Dembe and Baz were already waiting for him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Reddington poured himself a scotch, walked towards his desk and sat down. Baz and Dembe were both sitting on the other side and remained quiet. Red coughed, took a sip of his drink and spoke "Tell me what happened, and don't leave anything out."

"Raymond," Dembe, usually the quiet one, started, "we had our eyes on her all night. She and her friend were just out having fun, no specifics, we didn't see anything or anyone out of the ordinary. She never knew we were there so she didn't act any differently. Just like you requested."

"When Elizabeth and Samar left the club, we were right behind them; that was until we got held back by a brawl near the exit doors. In case we caused a scene ourselves and blew our cover, we remained back and waited for them to let us out. By the time we were outside, Samar's limo was already gone and Elizabeth was out of our sight. It wasn't until we heard cries and screams that we caught up to her location. By the time we got there, she was already down and passed out."

"I still don't understand how you let her out of your sight," Raymond answered his associate. "For the last four years I have given you specific instructions. I know you have never failed to do your job, but today I am disappointed. Have you seen the shape she is in, Dembe? Can you understand how I feel right now?"

"I understand Raymond," Dembe answered.

"Find out who did this and bring him to me," Raymond said, as he emptied his glass when he got up. "Mr. Kaplan should have also arrived by now, so she can assist you with whatever needs to be done. If you will excuse me now, I am going to see how Elizabeth is doing". He sat his glass down on the desk and walked towards the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Red went into the master bedroom where everything was set up for Elizabeth's recovery. Claire had retreated to the guest room as Lizzie was resting and was stable for now. He walked closer to the bed and inspected the girl.

Her hair was a mess and her face was covered in bruises. A large bandage covered the wound on her forehead where her head had hit the metal of the dumpster. He carefully pulled the sheet back and noticed she was wearing a hospital gown. He looked around the room and found her regular clothes in a pile in a corner, they were stained with blood. He inspected her further and noticed the doctor hadn't been exaggerating. She had black and blue bruises all over.

He felt his eyes twitch and felt a tear roll down his cheek. How could this have happened, he thought to himself. He dried his tear, covered Elizabeth with the sheet again, and walked towards the pile of clothes. He stuffed them in a bag and made a mental note to buy her any new clothes she wanted when she was fit again.

After getting rid of the clothes, Red pulled his leather chair next to the bed Elizabeth was lying in. He wasn't going to leave her tonight, so he grabbed a blanket for himself as well.

He pulled an iPod out of one of the drawers of the dresser and looked for the matching earphones. He never really used those things, but was happy Dembe had given him one last year for Christmas fully loaded with his favorite jazz albums. As it turns out, it had come in handy one day.

Carefully he put the earphones in her ears and turned on the iPod. He selected the album "Live at the Village Vanguard" by the Christian McBride Trio and turned the volume on low.

Red sat down in his chair and held her hand. He kissed her hand and whispered to her "I want you to know that everything's going to be okay. You're going to be okay. You have me. And I'm not going to let anything else happen to you."

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**I apologize for the very long wait for an update to this story.**  
 **Real life has really gotten in my way (burnout, new job, family illness) and I also lost my writing muse after the season 5 finale.**  
 **But I'm back and I hope to be able to update a little more frequent again.**  
 **Hope you enjoy this chapter. As always thank you for all your comments and kudos on this story already.**  
 **Thank you to heatherpeters and Jammequin for checking my story!**  
 **Lizzington Forever!  
**

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 _It's spring time. She's walking in a park somewhere with her husband. She can't see him very well, he looks blurry, but nonetheless she feels safe. In between them is their little girl. She's holding the child's hand in hers and never wants to let go. She hears laughter and voices singing and smiles. A deep voice tells her he loves her. She feels at ease and is the happiest she has ever been. Her fantasy is finally real._

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She felt a sudden pain in her stomach and moaned softly. She tried to open her eyes to take in her surroundings but darkness appeared all around her. She felt another sting of pain in her wrist and lifted her arm.

Moving around was painful as well, and she suddenly felt a panic attack coming on. Not knowing where she was, she tried to scream, but her mouth was so dry, no sound escaped her throat.

"Shhh, it's okay, you're safe," she heard a woman's voice say and felt a hand caress her hair.

"We're here to take care of you. Try to remain calm. I will get you something to drink; you must be thirsty."

She felt a straw press against her lips, and took several sips of water.

"I'm going to turn the light on now," she heard the voice say. "Don't worry about a thing dearie, you'll be okay."

She closed her eyes for several seconds, then opened them to discover the light. She was able to see and looked around, not recognizing the room but realizing she wasn't in a hospital. An IV pole stood beside the bed with three bags hanging from it.

She turned her head and looked to the other side and saw a frail, older woman with glasses, who she didn't recognize.

"How are you feeling dearie?" The woman asked. "You've been sleeping for over 36 hours; do you feel rested? How is the pain?"

"Everything hurts," Elizabeth moaned. "Where am I?" she asked the woman. "Who are you? What happened?"

"I'm going to call Claire, your nurse, to come in. She'll give you something for the pain and will help you freshen up a bit."

With that, the woman turned around and walked out of the large bedroom.

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"She's awake, Raymond, but she's still woozy. I asked Claire to give her a pain killer." Mr. Kaplan told her employer.

"She was close to a panic attack, but I think she'll be ok."

Reddington turned around and faced his trusted associate. "Thank you Kate for your assistance. I want you to get everything ready for her recovery. I think it will be a good idea for her to stay here, as she will be safe. Make sure you get everything she asks for and ask Dembe to bring over her laptop as well as anything else she may need for her thesis. I think once she feels better, she will want to continue her work."

"Of course, Raymond," Kaplan said, and left his office.

"Hi, Elizabeth, nice to see you awake," she heard another female voice say.

"My name is Claire and I'll help you freshen up a bit. I administered another pain killer, so you should feel better in a bit." The nurse approached Elizabeth and smiled at her. She seemed to be a friendly young woman in her early thirties.

"Claire, could you tell me where I am and what happened?" Elizabeth asked her. "That other lady, I don't know who she is, she wouldn't tell. I know that I am obviously not in the hospital, so please tell me where I am."

"Oh dear, don't you?" Claire responded with the kindest voice.

"Sweetheart, you are in the best hands. My employer has made sure you have the best doctor you could wish for and he has set up round the clock care for you."

"But who is your employer and please tell me what happened to me." Elizabeth sighed.

"Elizabeth, you were attacked two nights ago when you left a party. Your assailant beat you terribly and left you for dead," Claire said.

"I received a call from Mister Reddington informing me that my urgent assistance was needed. I have been staying here since that night to help take care of you," she continued. "Mr. Reddington hasn't left your side except for the few times when he left to tend to urgent business matters."

"Mr. Reddington?" Elizabeth said when she looked up at Claire. "How did he know I was attacked and why is he helping me?"

"I don't know the specifics of why you were brought here, but you received immediate care. Doctor Cormier is one of the best ER doctors in the city," Claire said.

"Mr. Reddington spared no expense and wasted no time in getting you everything you needed. He obviously cares for you very deeply." Claire continued.

"Now how about I help you get freshened up and changed into a clean nightgown, and change your bedsheets?"

"Thank you, I would really like that." Elizabeth smiled at Claire, but inwardly wondered exactly how she ended up here.

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"So, tell me, have you found that bastard Tom Keen?" Red looked over to Dembe and Baz, while he swirled his scotch in a crystal tumbler.

"We're getting close, boss," Baz responded. "We looked at all the surveillance tapes from the club and the surrounding streets, and we are 100% sure that Keen did this to her."

"It looks like he was watching her the entire evening from a distance and then took his chance when he found her alone."

"Well, first of all, she is never again to be left alone, do you understand? I pay you both well enough to take care of that." Reddington looked at both of them.

"Bring Keen to me, sooner, rather than later." "When I am done with him, he'll have wished he'd never set foot in New York City".

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you all for your continued interest in this story. I apologize for the long wait for a new chapter!**

 **This is my longest chapter so far, I hope you all enjoy it! Please leave me a comment if you can.**

 **Thank you to Silraen for taking time to beta! Your input and suggestions are so appreciated! Much love to you!**

 **Lizzington forever!**

 ****** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters.******

Chapter12

"Raymond, we found Keen."

Red turned around and looked up at his most trusted friend and associate Dembe, who was just shutting his burner flip phone.

"Baz just called. They found Tom at the Port Authority with a one-way Greyhound ticket to Nebraska," Dembe elaborated. "He was waiting to board the evening bus heading west. Seems like he wanted to skip town quickly. Where do you want us to take him to, Raymond?" he asked. Dembe was calm, as usual, but deep down he was satisfied the man had been found and would get what he deserved.

"Take him to the warehouse out by Newark," Reddington replied promptly. He knew exactly how he wanted to handle Tom.

"Make sure he's no longer sedated and that he is conscious. I want this man to know exactly who he is dealing with and that he messed with the wrong person. I want him to feel everything."

"Of course, Raymond," Dembe answered him and grabbed his phone again to speed dial Baz.

Red took another sip from his Scotch, put his glass down on his desk and responded calmly, "I'll be there in a few hours to deal with this cockroach."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Liz opened her eyes gradually after hearing a soft sound of someone coughing. She noticed Reddington was sitting on a chair next to her. He was looking at her, his head tilted in his typical mannerism. When their eyes met, he smiled at her. She had a splitting headache but tried to smile back at him a little.

"Hi there. How are you feeling?" he quietly asked her as he slowly rose from the chair to come closer. "How is your head? Do you need anything?"

"Everything hurts and I am so tired," she replied with a sleepy moan. Liz struggled to sit up straight and Red helped her to adjust the pillow behind her back so she would be more comfortable.

"Mr. Reddington, why am I here? How did you know what happened to me?" She gazed at him and Red noticed Liz still seemed rather dizzy from all the pain medication she had been getting.

"Elisabeth, you have taken quite a beating. You are strong, but you need to rest and get better. Don't worry about anything. I will explain all in due time," Red comforted her.

"OK," Liz replied, a little weary but at the same time feeling at ease by the sound of his voice.

"Remember our first dinner when I made you a promise about us working together?" he asked with a gentle smile. "Do you remember that evening?" At her nod, he continued, "I said I would never lie to you. I intend to keep my word on that."

"Yes, I remember that evening, I enjoyed it very much," Liz confessed. She felt a little embarrassed admitting she still remembered, but lost that feeling immediately when he gazed at her.

"Right now I want you to know you can trust me. Do you trust me Elisabeth?" He tilted his head again, smiled and waited for her answer.

"Yes I do," she replied quietly. She glanced at him and added "Actually, I've trusted you since that first dinner."

"Mr. Reddington, I'm scared though." Her voice changed in tone and she sounded genuinely frightened. Red wondered what sort of other acts that man had done to her, to make her feel this fearful all of a sudden. "What if Tom knows where I am and comes back to finish what he started?"

"Elisabeth, you don't have to worry about Tom," Red responded and felt his left eye twitch. He felt uncomfortable that she was feeling so frightened and wanted nothing more than to hold her and comfort her. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to kill this man. "Let me worry about Tom," he rumbled.

Liz noticed a change in his tone, and knew deep down Reddington was serious about what he just said. She had read all the FBI files and knew about the many crimes he had committed. She also remembered from her research that he had never hurt a man who didn't deserve it.

"If you want to kill him for what he did to me, you can, you know," she said softly. Tears were forming in her eyes. She couldn't believe she was almost pleading with a criminal and allowing him to take her ex-boyfriend's life. "He has hurt me so much during the last two years of high school."

She shook her head, grabbed her blanket a little tighter and shuddered as she started sharing more of what was going on inside her.

"I always thought it was my fault. That I did something to provoke him and that it was ok to let him hurt me," she cried as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Red looked at the girl in front of him and started boiling inside. He turned his head a little to the side because he was afraid he would break down and cry as well if he watched her tears continue to fall.

How come he was never told about any of this?

"I never told anybody about him, because I was so embarrassed. I was so happy to have moved here to New York and to have gotten away from him… and now he has found me again." More tears rolled down her cheeks and she reached out her hand to him, even though her arm was still in pain from the beating.

Red swallowed and gazed her back in the eyes. He took her fragile palm in his and cautiously kissed her fingers. Liz flushed and looked away timidly. She had not expected him to show her that kind of affection.

"Elisabeth, look at me. I want you to know that it's never ok for a man to hurt you no matter what you say or do. In no instance is it ever ok," he stressed gravely. "Don't ever forget that."

Feeling relieved at the sound of his words and his voice, Liz slowly stopped crying and shaking and gave him a tiny smile.

"There's that pretty smile. Now try to get some rest and let me worry about Tom," he murmured while he wiped away the lingering tears from her cheeks with his thumb. Then he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

Elisabeth closed her eyes and realized she enjoyed the feeling of his lips on her skin.

He pulled back from her and looked her in the eyes again. "I have to go now and take care of some business. Claire is in the other room and she will be here to keep you company. You do not have to be scared. I will be back shortly."

"Mr. Reddington?" she asked him before he turned around to leave.

He paused in his getting ready to exit the room and looked at her.

"I've been wanting to ask you..." She smiled at him and for the first time since she woke up he could tell she was feeling more confident. "Would you call me Lizzie from now on? All my friends do."

He couldn't even describe his own emotions at that moment, but felt his eyes must have been gleaming as he heard her say those words. He wasn't even sure he heard her right.

"Absolutely, Lizzie," he replied, feeling suddenly more cheerful than usual. "And I would be happy if you could call me Raymond."

She watched him grab his coat and his fedora. As he walked towards the door, she quietly called after him, "I trust you, Raymond. Thank you for everything."

Lizzie then laid back down in her bed, turned over and slowly started drifting off to sleep again.

Reddington had stopped in the doorway for a second on her last words, but reminded himself that there was business waiting for him and it needed to be taken care of. He couldn't wait to spend more time with Lizzie during her recovery time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Where is he?" Reddington called out to his associates as he briskly walked into the empty warehouse. The building was located on a deserted industrial area with no living creatures around. Besides storage, Red also used it as a location to take care of unwanted individuals.

"Right over here, boss!" Morgan, another one of Red's associates, called out. "We are in the old office. Our new friend can't wait to meet you!" Morgan added sarcastically.

The soles of Reddington's shoes clipped and scuffed on the cement as he made his way into a smaller room of the warehouse. As he entered, his eyes fixed immediately upon a man slightly slouched down on a chair with a potato bag over his head. His hands were tied behind his back on the chair and each one of his legs was tied to the feet of the chair.

"So this is the man responsible for beating up Elisabeth?" he seethed as he tore the potato bag off from Tom's head. "He doesn't look like much of a man to me!"

Tom looked like he had already been to hell and back. He was unshaven, had uncombed hair and smelled like he hadn't taken a shower in three days. A sock was stuffed in his mouth to prevent him from speaking. He blinked his eyes, trying to adjust his vision to the light, and then gazed at both Reddington and Morgan.

"No, he's not," Morgan replied in disgust. "He cried like a baby when we picked him up at Port Authority to bring him here. He squealed like a pig when we tied him up."

Red smirked at Morgan's comment and assessed the situation. The warehouse was empty besides the three men in the room and two more associates waiting outside. There was an old desk near the wall and two chairs face to face. Tom was sitting in one of those chairs.

"We didn't even hurt him, just like you asked. You would think a man capable of beating up a young woman for no reason at all would be a bit more of a man when he is in a similar position," Morgan laughed.

Tom remained motionless upon hearing the comment.

"Anyway, boss, he's all yours now," Morgan continued. "If you need, there's a variety of tools in the storage room and Brimley is on standby."

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary. You did well, men. Now go have a drink and go home," Reddington replied while not taking his eyes from Tom.

"I'll take care of this cockroach."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, Tom Keen, huh." Reddington calmly approached the young man who was still slouched in the chair. Standing behind him, Red continued talking.

"I knew a Tom once a few years ago. He was married to a nice, sweet girl from the Midwest and they were about to adopt a baby."

Reddington took out his gun and a silencer while he proceeded to speak.

"The girl was a daughter to a very dear friend of mine. Unfortunately, she was too sweet and believed every word her husband said. She was blinded by her love for him."

Red slowly walked around Tom's chair and came back to stand in front of him. He looked at his gun and the silencer and carried on with his talk. Tom couldn't do anything but listen.

"As it turns out, Tom lied about his job and his past. He was a cheating bastard and he liked to beat up his wife," Red growled as he moved back around the chair.

"Much like you seem to enjoy beating up your ex-girlfriend. I suppose you know who I am talking about? Does the name Elisabeth Milhoan ring a bell?"

Reddington was close to the younger man's head when he spoke her name and he could hear Tom skip a few shuddering breaths.

"Anyway, his wife called for my help after another episode where Tom went ballistic. He beat and kicked her as if she were a piece of trash. Furniture was strewn all over the house and broken dishes laid all over the floor. Even the dog was smart enough to run away through a broken window."

Red quietly screwed the silencer on his gun and started filling the barrel of the gun with bullets, one by one.

"When I arrived, she had found the courage to grab the gun I had given her for protection and shoot him in the stomach, but she was terrified to finish him. I tried to convince her to let me kill him, but she wouldn't allow it and insisted we take him to the hospital instead."

"A few months later, I received news that the girl was found dead in her house. Her husband was found drunk hanging over her with the gun I gave her and that killed her. He was later sentenced to death."

Red's mouth curved into a snarl.

"She died because she was scared of going through with what he deserved."

He shook his head slowly.

"I should have killed him when I had the chance," Red admitted quietly. "A mistake I will not make again."

Reddington stepped in front of Tom and ripped the sock out of his mouth. He put the tip of the gun's silencer on the younger man's forehead.

Sweat poured down the frightened man's face as his eyes strained to glimpse the weapon.

"Do you think I should have killed him when I had the chance, Tom?" Red furiously questioned the man in front of him.

Tom Keen stared up at him in shocked surprise. "I...I...don't know what you are talking about!" he stuttered desperately. "I'm just a tourist in New York!"

Red laughed gaily and replied, "Oh, who am I kidding?" His white teeth flashed in the half-dark room. "I'm really not that interested in your opinion."

Red fluidly sat down on the chair facing Tom, pointed his gun at him and fired six shots into the younger man's body.

He remained seated for a couple of minutes thinking back to the events that happened a few years earlier and then looked at Tom's dead body. He grabbed his phone and called Mr. Kaplan to clean up the mess.

Then he got up from his chair, turned sharply on his heel and walked away from the dead cockroach and the warehouse.

Tbc


End file.
